*Leaders Egypt Face Sierra Leone Aiming to Edge Closer to 2026 World Cup*
By Bei Santigie T. Kamara
Egypt will host Sierra Leone this evening at the Cairo International Stadium in the sixth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aiming to take another step toward securing a place in the finals.
Meanwhile, the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone have had a strong campaign and boosted their qualification hopes with a 3-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau in the previous round on Thursday.
The Pharaohs are seeking their fourth World Cup appearance, having previously qualified in 1934, 1990, and 2018. A victory today would further cement their position at the top of Group A and extend their unbeaten run in the qualifiers.
Egypt currently leads Group A with 13 points, two ahead of second-placed Burkina Faso. Sierra Leone sits third with eight points, followed by Guinea-Bissau with six points. Ethiopia is fifth, while Djibouti remains at the bottom of the table.
Head coach Hossam Hassan will once again count on the attacking prowess of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and hope Omar Marmoush replicates his club form for the national team. Salah played a crucial role in Egypt’s 2-0 victory over Ethiopia on Friday, helping his side tighten their grip on the group lead.
Hassan has expressed his ambition to guide Egypt to continental success while ensuring their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Reaching the World Cup and progressing deep into the tournament would be remarkable. It would highlight the talent of this team and coaching staff and bring immense joy to Egyptian fans,” Hassan said, as quoted by KingFut.
He also reiterated his commitment to restoring Egypt’s dominance in African football and winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
“We are doing everything to bring AFCON back to Egypt after such a long absence. As a player, I won titles with a great group of stars,” he added.
“Now, as a coach, we qualified for AFCON as group leaders with four wins and two draws. We introduced new faces to prepare for the future, and I hope to win the tournament and bring joy to the Egyptian people.”
The Leone Stars last defeated Egypt at the National Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown on September 3, 2011, during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. That historic 2-1 victory marked Sierra Leone’s first win and opened the first-ever victory in this fixture, in a match featuring notable Egyptian players such as Amr El Solia, Mohamed Salah, and Mohamed Elneny.
Overall, Egypt share the same record of one win, one draw, and one loss against Sierra Leone after the Pharaohs last 2-0 victory against Leone Stars in Liberia, while Egypt on a goal difference of 4-3.
[@Bei Santigie T Kamara]
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